Saying you really need the entrepreneurial spirit is like saying you need comfortable chairs.  Do some have it?  Yes.  Is that ok?  If the talent is used biblically, yes (is the risk I’m taking a wise risk God really wants me to do).  Now you might say, “well we are not saying it is a must”.  Then why do we spend so much time talking about these characteristics rather than the biblical characteristics of leadership?  These are the areas where pastors are accepted without demonstration and then there is suprise when there is failure because of a sin problem that has always been there.  These are the failures in leadership that speaks volumes to folks who doubt if Christianity is true.  In fact, isn’t it more of an entrepreneurial spirit to risk speaking the full truth in our congregations or practice biblical discipline?  Why do we think a pastor has this spirit because they can convince the deacons to build a new building, etc.?  The definition of entrepreneur is one who takes risk for the sake of profit.  I know you are thinking about risk but I don’t see how you can talk about being a pastor entrepreneur without talking about the view of success (I know most really care about the gospel and not $, now some book distributors I’m not so sure about).  If there is to be any entrepreneurial spirit then it should be by all the believers in support of their gifts or responsibilities.  Jesus did say a few things about risk in light of eternal reward for all disciples.

The success of the early church had nothing to do with entrepreneurial as many are trying to define it.  They were bold to proclaim the truth being rejected in many towns.  Now if you mean taking risks in this manner then I agree with you but if you want to redefine it to include “aggressively seeking ways to connect” that put this as a priority over presenting the true God of the bible then I strongly disagree.  And I know you’re are going to say that you don’t compromise the truth but I’ve been to too many churches in the last year in which it is.  Telling half-truths is compromise.  Why are we willing to do surveys and listen to the unchurched above what God has already said on the subject?  Yes, God said we become a Jew to the Jew, etc. but read on.  He says we never forsake the law of Christ (doing ministry His way).

Then please get specific on what you mean by connect.  From what I have observed this is used by leadership to justify anything they want, to do everything they can to not offend anyone, and to teach connection philosophy rather than teaching us who God is, His ways, and who we really are.  Paul’s speaking is not limited to his time and the disciples, John the Baptist, Jesus, the OT prophets, etc. usually did not limit themselves by culture.  It is God who connects in order to redeem.  We can be as relevant as we want but the bottom line is if God isn’t in it or an unchruched person’s heart is hard, then it doesn’t matter how hard we try to connect.  Can you be confident that the lengths you go to connect do not offend our Lord where He doesn’t go with you?

I have seen it in practice.  You can say all you want about not compromising but it is pretty frustrating to try and find a church that truly does not compromise when practicing these new philosophies of ministry.  Again, I have never implied that they cannot go hand in hand.  But when I see more teachers and preachers focus on these side issues instead of God’s involvement, I have to wonder what are we hanging our hat on.  There is a priority we cannot forget even when they do go hand in hand.  Lastly, I’m suggesting if we define it as risk taking God’s way for the profit of His glory then we are all responsible for this attitude and it is not a gift or talent.  Are there some more willing then others in practice?  Yes, but we are all still responsible for the attitude.  Do we let God lead or do we get in front of Him by trying to lead a charge?  We need to be agressive/bold with discernment.  I think the best principle for having balanced ministry (where you can be relevant and be truthful) is to be Christlike - who was fully God, having all His attributes - attributes you cannot seperate.  He is not just a God of love.  He is also not a God of wrath in one Testament but now He is the God of love.  If we are not balanced on the truth we share and win some then what did we just win them to?

That passage just mentions that there is a gift of leadership.  It says nothing about entrepreneurialship.  My point is that we are talking about an attitude that all believers should have.  If you want to talk about the specifics of what makes or breaks a leader then there are plenty of verses about that.  So why take a quality and try to make the bible say what it doesn’t instead of talking about what it clearly does state?  Mind you I’m not saying that leaders and the disciples and all were not risk takers.  The evidence that not many people are talking about what the bible says makes a leader is in the fact that when pastors, elders, deacons, or ministry leaders are nominated/confirmed/picked no one talks about evidence that supports whether they ought to be leader as the bible portrays.  Instead I think people are thinking of qualities that the bible does not mention.  Can they get the job done?  Are they going to change things the way I think they should be changed?  Will they listen to me?  We need to fill that empty chair.

I’m saying that it is not particular to the leadership gift.  A leader just happens to have that trait because it flows from their obedience to what God has called for all Christians to be.  Furthermore, if I’m a believer that is not in the ministry and I risk proclaiming the truth at my secular job it seems like I’m entrepreneurial.  I think traits like this are being focused on because people care more about there being change instead of putting leadership that pleases the Lord by making the right changes.  It focuses on the results as the final arbiter if you made the right risk or not.

Sorry, I started to try and read through the post above before posting my response as to try and not duplicate any statements or thoughts but after the 2nd or 3rd bickering back and forth I decided to just post my thoughts regardless…

Hi. My name is Daniel and… umm… I’m an entrepreneur.

As a serial entrepreneur myself in business and now as I feel my call bringing me into ministry, I know 100% that God has given me these entrepreneurial abilities so that I am not conformed by this world but rather better equipped to help make a difference in it.

Entrepreneur and Initiative fall hand-in-hand since one of the main qualities of an entrepreneur is to take action in the face of uncertainty or risk. Initiative is just the movement past the fear and into the unknown.

To me, Jesus was the ultimate entrepreneur. He was always moving. He was always stirring up the pot. He was bringing light into darkness (replacing fear with hope). He was never lulled into a sense of complacency or false accomplishment. He was always doing the will of the Father. He listened, He prayed, He acted when the Father spoke. He took initiative when prompted.

I think all too often initiative is confused as well. Many, because they are not called in the same way, don’t understand initiative. The Bible tells me that when God speaks I’d better act. I take that pretty seriously and I consider that my initiative. If I pray about something and I feel God calling me in a direction, I do my best to do it.  I set my intentions and my heart to God and try my best to follow His lead.

From my experience with some “Christians” it seems that initiative is easily confused with self but I think it’s all in the perspective of the individual. I have a friend who questions me a lot when I act. She thinks I act too quickly on some things (which I very well may do) but I see her continuously waiting… over thinking something that God has blatantly put in her path… to the point where she eventually never acts and it is a God sized opportunity that just pasted her by.

We all need to be entrepreneurs for Christ. We need to be risk takers. We need to trust God enough to step out in faith and not become bound by the man made restraints that a bigger building, a bigger budget, a bigger staff, life, a mortgage, car payments, etc. can sometimes bring on, even so subtly to the point where it’s not even obvious that risk is replaced with status quo.

Brian,

From one guy who “moves too fast” to another, I feel for you. I am so blessed to be NEVER “squashed” where I am now. On the contrary, the people around and above me are VERY driven and I’d have it no other way. We are ALWAYS looking for new innovative ideas and we are NEVER satisfied with mediocrity… It rocks!

It is possible (because I don’t know the facts) that perhaps you and your ideas are indeed moving too fast. Only you and God know that. But assuming you aren’t, if it were me I’d have a long talk with my SP if I could, and/or perhaps I’d look into moving on. Perhaps God has prepared you for something bigger, and maybe your ideas have outgrown your local church…

Bless you!
Peter